On 16th October I will be sleeping outside in the grounds of Christ Church Cathedral to shine a light on the issue of homelessness in Ireland today. We at Bord Gáis Energy are supporting Focus Ireland to bring real comfort and hope to families in Ireland who have lost their homes or are facing the prospect of losing them.

I am joining other businesses to raise awareness of the vital work of Focus Ireland and to support their aim radically to reduce homelessness. Please help us to support Focus Ireland make this a reality.

Currenty the statistics aren't getting any better.  Ordinary hard working families are losing their homes every day for all sorts of reasons - spiraling rents, illness, sudden unemployment or other misfortunes. The incidence of families losing their homes has reached endemic proportions with more than 1,500 children in emergency accommodation, often being unable to maintain the normal routines of life – playing with friends, getting to school, having somewhere safe and warm to do homework, or even being able to sit down with their family for a cooked meal. This is no way to start a life. Society in Ireland needs to open its collective eyes and do something to help. We intend to help, and will be gathering support from our employees, customers and others, so Focus Ireland can really make a difference in practical ways.